“Shelley Singer is simply the best. I’m reasonably certain that without her help, my first novel would be buried in my backyard somewhere, rather than going into its third printing. She encouraged me from chapter one to the end, gave me detailed and insightful feedback, and helped me take an amateur draft of a first novel and turn it into a polished manuscript. Nobody can guarantee you success, but if you’re already in the ballpark, Shelley Singer is the coach who can help you hit a homerun.”

—Rick Riordan, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the multi-award winning (Edgar, Anthony, Shamus) Tres Navarrre mystery series. His newest series, about Egyptian mythology, is The Kane Chronicles.

Manuscript Consulting

More and more often these days, as the publishing industry has changed, first-time authors—and some already-published ones as well—are being told that their manuscripts need more work than in-house editors can give.

For several years, Shelley Singer has held ongoing private workshops as well as consultations, helping writerswith literary novels and in every genre from memoir to mystery to science fiction to horror. She's a former Editor, working in both fiction and nonfiction and in books, magazines and newspapers, two-time member of Edgar Award committees, Mystery Writers of America, and a member of several professional organizations including the Science Fiction Writers of America. Many of her clients have gone on to be published, and some have won awards for their work (see client and student raves).

Beginning with an estimate of time and cost, she accepts for evaluation entire manuscript drafts of any length or genre and will also read chapters of work in progress. She gives detailed, clear, line-by-line feedback as well as an overall critique of the work, and helps the author from chapter one through the process of preparing submissions to agents or editors.

Although she loves teaching, online and live, it’s in the close and intensive process of consulting that she feels most effective. The results are clear, obvious—and immediate.